Stuck in Tree

Ok, here's the much-requested story about seeing the mother rhino and her one-month-old baby...

When we spotted this pair, they were at a distance, so our driver was trying to get us closer. The guides here are terrific and they are always trying to get us into position for the best possible photos. In this case, he tried to drive under a tree. Somehow he misjudged the height of one of the big branches. The branches cleared the first two rows in the Land Rover, but it got lodged in the last row of seats.

That's where I was sitting. I was the only one in the row, so I moved to the floor knowing that the guide would try to drive us out of this predicament. The branch wasn't going anywhere, so I stuck my head out the side of the Land Rover and I realized the baby rhino was only about 15 feet away. I just squeezed my camera out and snapped a couple photographs of the baby. Jackpot! Then, of course, I couldn't move at all because I was stuck on the floor with the branch right above my back and head.

Finally after few tries, the other passengers lifted the branch so that the Land Rover could get free. Yes, I was a bit uncomfortable, but I couldn't stop laughing the whole time. The rest of the volunteers thought it was the funniest thing ever. This is part of what I love about Thanda. You never quite know what will happen next. It's all part of the adventure!!!